Peterbilt offering Bendix Wingman Advanced on wide range of trucks

Bendix Wingman Advanced is available on a wide range of Peterbilt trucks, including the new Modl 579. (Courtesy: PETERBILT MOTORS CO.)

The Trucker News Services

3/22/2012

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Building on its offerings of vehicle safety technologies, Peterbilt Motors Co. said Wednesday that Bendix Wingman Advanced – A Collision Mitigation Technology is now available for its entire range of on-highway truck models.

The announcement came during the Mid-America Trucking Show under way here.

“We continue to integrate the latest, most advanced safety technologies available into our innovative product line to provide our customers with solutions that can enhance safe driving and reduce costs,” said Peterbilt General Manager and PACCAR Vice President Bill Kozek. “This newest product offering achieves both of these goals and has been incorporated into multiple vehicle platforms serving the full range of customer applications. Now, customers can operate Peterbilt trucks that are not only the most productive, reliable and efficient in the industry, but also are among the safest.”

Bendix Wingman Advanced, which works in conjunction with the company’s Bendix ESP(Electronic Stability Program) full-stability system, features adaptive cruise control with braking and new collision mitigation technology that senses and helps avoid rear-end collisions.

According to Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems, the Wingman Advanced system provides the following safety-enhancing functions:

• A radar sensor that detects potential hazards such as rear-end collisions and provides the driver with alerts and can initiate active intervention.

• Always available following distance and stationary object alerts that give the driver visual and audible warnings when a metallic object is detected, regardless of darkness, fog, rain, smoke and snow.

• Adaptive cruise control with braking that actively reduces throttle, engages the engine retarder or applies the foundation brakes – depending on the circumstances – to maintain a safe following distance and prevent collisions;

• Collision mitigation technology that intervenes regardless if adaptive cruise control is engaged by alerting the driver and applying the brakes if the system senses a rear-end collision is imminent. This feature uses approximately two-thirds of the vehicle’s braking capacity, compared to one-third used by adaptive cruise control with braking.

• Integrated performance with the Bendix® ESP® (Electronic Stability Program) full-stability system to help ensure the vehicle maintains stability when braking.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Bendix noted that drivers always can provide additional braking and steering inputs to help avoid or mitigate collisions.

Drivers interact with the system through an in-dash module that, in addition to displaying warnings and other information, allows activation of the automatic intervention functions using the existing cruise control switches.

“While there is no substitute for a safe and alert operator, the Bendix Wingman Advanced system will help in the prevention of collisions, rollovers and loss-of-control situations,” Kozek said. “It provides our customers with a technology tool that serves the primary purpose of preserving life and assets. But it also helps them maintain desirable risk profiles for their insurance providers and high CSA (Compliance, Safety, Accountability) scores that demonstrate to their shipper customers they have a reputation as a safe, responsible and reliable carrier.”

The Bendix Wingman Advanced system will be available for Peterbilt Models 579, 587, 386, 384, 382, 389, 367 and 365.